The latest news directly from E-Business Suite Development

Thursday Jul 30, 2015

As a follow up to the prior announcement
on February 11th, 2015, Oracle Database 12c
Release 1 (12.1.0.2) is now certified
with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i (11.5.10.2 +
ATG_PF.H.delta.7 (RUP 7) and higher) on the
following additional platforms:

HP-UX Itanium (11.31)

IBM AIX on Power Systems (64-bit) (6.1, 7.1*)

IBM: Linux on z Systems (RHEL 5,6, SLES 11)*

* This is a 'database tier only' or 'split tier
configuration' certification where the application tier must be on a
fully certified E-Business Suite platform.

Here are our latest upgrade recommendations for E-Business
Suite updates and technology stack components. These quarterly
recommendations are based upon the latest updates to Oracle's product
strategies, latest support timelines, and newly-certified releases.

Oracle E-Business Suite comes with native user authentication and
management capabilities out-of-the-box. If you need more-advanced
features, it's also possible to integrate it with Oracle Internet
Directory and Oracle Single Sign-On or Oracle Access Manager, which
allows you to link the E-Business Suite with third-party tools like
Microsoft Active Directory and Windows Kerberos.

Integration with Oracle Internet Directory involves
components spanning several different suites of Oracle products. There are no
restrictions on which platform any particular component may be installed so long
as the platform is supported for that component.

Friday Jul 17, 2015

I am pleased to announce that Oracle Access Manager 11gR2 Patchset 3 (11.1.2.3.0) is now certified with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i (11.5.10.2) and 12 (12.1.3+, 12.2.2+). If you
are implementing single sign-on for the first time, or are an
existing Oracle Access Manager user, you may integrate with Oracle
Access Manager 11gR2 using Oracle Access Manager WebGate and Oracle
E-Business Suite AccessGate.

Integration with Oracle Access Manager involves components spanning several different suites of Oracle products. There are no restrictions on which platform any particular component may be installed so long as the platform is supported for that component.

Choosing the Right Integration

Our previously published blog article
and support note with single sign-on recommended and certified
integration paths has been updated to include Oracle Access Manager
11gR2PS2:

Our standard policy is that all E-Business Suite customers can
apply all
JRE updates to end-user desktops:

From JRE 1.6.0_03 and later updates on
the JRE 6 codeline

From JRE 1.7.0_10 and later updates on the JRE 7
codeline

From JRE 1.8.0_25 and later updates on the JRE 8 codeline

We test
all new JRE releases in parallel with the JRE development
process, so
all new JRE releases are considered certified with the
E-Business Suite on
the same day that they're released by our Java team.

You do not need to wait for a certification announcement before
applying new JRE 6, 7, or 8 releases to your EBS users' desktops.

What's new in this release?

This JRE update is a CPU release. If you are running on
the JRE 8 stream, it is strongly recommended to upgrade to this latest
and therefore most secure version of the JRE 8 Plug-in.

Form Focus Issue: Clicking outside the frame during forms
launch may cause a loss of focus when running with JRE 8. This can
occur in all Oracle E-Business Suite releases. A fix for this issue is
currently being investigated, see the documentation below for additional
information.

EBS + Discoverer 11g Users

This JRE release is certified for Discoverer 11g in E-Business Suite environments with the following minimum requirements:

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JRE 8 for Windows desktop clients?

No.

This upgrade is highly recommended but remains
optional while Java 6 and 7 are covered by Extended Support. Updates
will be delivered via My Oracle Support, where you can continue to
receive critical bug fixes and security fixes as well as general
maintenance for JRE 6 and 7 desktop clients. Note that there are
different impacts of enabling JRE Auto-Update depending on your current
JRE release installed, despite the availability of ongoing support for
JRE 6 and 7 for EBS customers; see the next section below.

Impact of enabling JRE Auto-Update

Java Auto-Update
is a feature that keeps desktops up-to-date with the latest Java
release. The Java Auto-Update feature connects to java.com at a
scheduled time and checks to see if there is an update available.

Enabling the JRE Auto-Update feature on desktops with JRE 6 installed will have no effect.

With the release of the January Critical patch Updates, the Java
Auto-Update Mechanism will automatically update JRE 7 plug-ins to JRE 8.

The upgrade to JRE 8 is recommended for EBS users, but
some users may need to run older versions of JRE 6 or 7 on their Windows desktops
for reasons unrelated to the E-Business Suite.

Most EBS configurations
with IE and Firefox use non-static versioning by default. JRE 8 will
be invoked instead of earlier JRE releases if both are installed on a Windows desktop.
For more details, see "Appendix B: Static vs. Non-static Versioning and
Set Up Options" in Notes 290807.1 and 393931.1.

The preceding is intended to outline our general product
direction. It is intended for information purposes only, and may not be
incorporated into any contract. It is not a commitment to deliver any
material, code, or functionality, and should not be relied upon in
making purchasing decision. The development, release, and timing of any
features or functionality described for Oracle’s products remains at
the sole discretion of Oracle.

Our standard policy is that all E-Business Suite customers can
apply all
JRE updates to end-user desktops:

From JRE 1.6.0_03 and later updates on
the JRE 6 codeline

From JRE 1.7.0_10 and later updates on the JRE 7
codeline

From JRE 1.8.0_25 and later updates on the JRE 8 codeline

We test
all new JRE releases in parallel with the JRE development
process, so
all new JRE releases are considered certified with the
E-Business Suite on
the same day that they're released by our Java team.

You do not need to wait for a certification announcement before
applying new JRE 6, 7, or 8 releases to your EBS users' desktops.

Effects of new support dates on Java upgrades for EBS environments

Support dates for the E-Business Suite and Java have changed. Please review the sections below for more details:

What does this mean for Oracle E-Business Suite users?

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JRE 7 for Windows desktop clients?

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JDK 7 for EBS application tier servers?

What's new in this release?

This JRE update is a CPU release. If you are running on
the JRE 7 stream, it is strongly recommended to upgrade to this latest
and therefore most secure version of the JRE 7 Plug-in.

The JRE 7u79 release was the last JRE 7 update available to the general public.
Java is an integral part of the Oracle E-Business Suite technology
stack, so EBS users will continue to receive Java SE 7 updates to the
end of Java SE 7 Premier Support to the end of July 2016.

How can EBS customers obtain Java 7 updates after the public end-of-life?

Both JDK and JRE packages are now contained in a single combined
download. Download the "JDK" package for both the desktop client JRE
and the server-side JDK package.

Coexistence of multiple JRE releases Windows desktops

The upgrade to JRE 8 is recommended for EBS users, but
some users may need to run older versions of JRE 6 or 7 on their Windows desktops
for reasons unrelated to the E-Business Suite.

Most EBS configurations
with IE and Firefox use non-static versioning by default. JRE 8 will
be invoked instead of earlier JRE releases if both are installed on a Windows desktop.
For more details, see "Appendix B: Static vs. Non-static Versioning and
Set Up Options" in Notes 290807.1 and 393931.1.

Java Auto-Update Mechanism

With the release of the January 2015 Critical patch Updates, the Java
Auto-Update Mechanism will automatically update JRE 7 plug-ins to JRE 8.

Coexistence of multiple JRE releases Windows desktops

The upgrade to JRE 8 is recommended for EBS users, but
some users may need to run older versions of JRE 6 or 7 on their Windows desktops
for reasons unrelated to the E-Business Suite.

Most EBS configurations
with IE and Firefox use non-static versioning by default. JRE 8 will
be invoked instead of earlier JRE releases if both are installed on a Windows desktop.
For more details, see "Appendix B: Static vs. Non-static Versioning and
Set Up Options" in Notes 290807.1 and 393931.1.

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JDK 7 for EBS application tier servers?

JRE is used for desktop clients. JDK is used for application tier servers

JDK upgrades for E-Business Suite application tier servers are highly recommended but currently remain
optional while Java 6 is covered by Extended Support. Updates
will be delivered via My Oracle Support, where you can continue to
receive critical bug fixes and security fixes as well as general
maintenance for JDK 6 for application tier servers.

Java SE 6 is covered by Extended Support until June 2017. All EBS
customers with application tier servers on Windows, Solaris, and Linux
must upgrade to JDK 7 by June 2017. EBS customers running their
application tier servers on other operating systems should check with
their respective vendors for the support dates for those platforms.

The latest Java Runtime Environment 1.6.0_101 (a.k.a. JRE 6u101-b14) and later updates on the JRE 6 codeline
are now certified with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i and 12.x for Windows-based desktop clients.

All JRE 6, 7, and 8 releases are certified with EBS upon release

Our standard policy is that all E-Business Suite customers can
apply all
JRE updates to end-user desktops:

From JRE 1.6.0_03 and later updates on
the JRE 6 codeline

From JRE 1.7.0_10 and later updates on the JRE 7
codeline

From JRE 1.8.0_25 and later updates on the JRE 8 codeline

We test
all new JRE releases in parallel with the JRE development
process, so
all new JRE releases are considered certified with the
E-Business Suite on
the same day that they're released by our Java team.

You do not need to wait for a certification announcement before
applying new JRE 6, 7, or 8 releases to your EBS users' desktops.

Effects of new support dates on Java upgrades for EBS environments

Support dates for the E-Business Suite and Java have changed. Please review the sections below for more details:

What does this mean for Oracle E-Business Suite users?

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JRE 7 for Windows desktop clients?

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JDK 7 for EBS application tier servers?

New EBS installation scripts

This JRE release is the first with a 3-digit Java version. Installing this in your EBS 11i and 12.x environments will require new installation scripts. See the documentation listed in the 'References' section for more detail.

32-bit and 64-bit versions certified

This certification includes both the 32-bit and 64-bit JRE
versions for various Windows operating systems. See the respective Deploying JRE documentation for your EBS release for details.

After February 2013, Oracle will no longer post updates of Java SE 6 to
its public download sites. Existing Java SE 6 downloads already posted
as of February 2013 will remain accessible in the Java Archive
on Oracle Technology Network. Developers and end-users are encouraged
to update to more recent Java SE versions that remain available for
public download. For enterprise customers, who need continued access to
critical bug fixes and security fixes as well as general maintenance for
Java SE 6 or older versions, long term support is available through Oracle Java SE Support .

What does this mean for Oracle E-Business Suite users?

EBS users fall under the category of "enterprise users" above.
Java is an integral part of the Oracle E-Business Suite technology
stack, so EBS users will continue to receive Java SE 6 updates from
February 2013 to the end of Java SE 6 Extended Support in June 2017.

In other words, nothing changes for EBS users after February 2013.

EBS users will continue to receive critical bug fixes and security
fixes as well as general maintenance for Java SE 6 until the end of Java SE 6 Extended Support in June 2017.

How can EBS customers obtain Java 6 updates after the public end-of-life?

Java 6 is now available
only via My Oracle Support for E-Business Suite users. You can find
links to this release, including Release Notes, documentation, and the
actual Java downloads here:

Both
JDK and JRE packages are contained in a single combined download after
6u45. Download the "JDK" package for both the desktop client JRE and
the server-side JDK package.

Coexistence of multiple JRE releases Windows desktops

The upgrade to JRE 8 is recommended for EBS users, but
some users may need to run older versions of JRE 6 or 7 on their Windows desktops
for reasons unrelated to the E-Business Suite.

Most EBS configurations
with IE and Firefox use non-static versioning by default. JRE 8 will
be invoked instead of earlier JRE releases if both are installed on a Windows desktop.
For more details, see "Appendix B: Static vs. Non-static Versioning and
Set Up Options" in Notes 290807.1 and 393931.1.

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JDK 7 for EBS application tier servers?

JRE is used for desktop clients. JDK is used for application tier servers

JDK upgrades for E-Business Suite application tier servers are highly recommended but currently remain
optional while Java 6 is covered by Extended Support. Updates
will be delivered via My Oracle Support, where you can continue to
receive critical bug fixes and security fixes as well as general
maintenance for JDK 6 for application tier servers.

Java SE 6 is covered by Extended Support until June 2017. All EBS
customers with application tier servers on Windows, Solaris, and Linux
must upgrade to JDK 7 by June 2017. EBS customers running their
application tier servers on other operating systems should check with
their respective vendors for the support dates for those platforms.

The Critical
Patch Update (CPU) for July 2015 was released on July 14, 2015.
Oracle strongly recommends applying the patches as soon as possible.

The Critical Patch Update Advisory
is the starting point for relevant information. It includes a list of
products affected, pointers to obtain the patches, a summary of
the security vulnerabilities, and links to other important documents.

Supported products that are not listed in the "Supported Products
and Components Affected" Section of the advisory do not require new
patches to be applied.

Also, it is essential to review the Critical Patch Update supporting
documentation referenced in the Advisory before applying patches, as
this is where you can find important pertinent information.

The Critical Patch Update Advisory is available at the following location:

Friday Jun 12, 2015

A customer asked, "When are you going to replace Oracle Workflow in the E-Business Suite with Oracle BPEL Process Manager?"

I thought that I'd covered this long ago, but it turns out that that's because I've answered it so often via email. Here's our standard answer to that question.

Workflow is an essential and tightly-integrated part of the E-Business Suite. It continues to grow in power and flexibility and is the foundation for our latest Mobile Approvals app. We have no plans to remove it or replace it with Oracle BPEL Process Manager (BPM).

If you'd like more background on the relationship between the version of Oracle Workflow that's embedded in the E-Business Suite and the standalone version, see this article:

Wednesday Jun 10, 2015

Back in my salad days, I once took a university-level astronomy course, where I was surprised to learn that the earth's rotational speed varies due to climactic and geologic events. These speed variations mean that the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) occasionally needs to be adjusted by a leap second to remain synchronized with the mean solar time (UT1).

The next leap second is scheduled for June 30, 2015.

E-Business Suite users do not need to worry about the impact of leap seconds. These time adjustment events do not have any impact on EBS operations or data integrity.

Mozilla offers an Extended Support Release
based on an official release of Firefox for organizations that are
unable to mass-deploy new consumer-oriented versions of Firefox every
six weeks. From the Mozilla ESR FAQ:

What does the Mozilla Firefox ESR life cycle look like?

Releases
will be maintained for approximately one year, with point releases
containing security updates coinciding with regular Firefox releases.
The ESR will also have a two cycle (12 week) overlap between the time of
a new release and the end-of-life of the previous release to permit
testing and certification prior to deploying a new version.

Maintenance of each ESR, through point releases, is limited to
high-risk/high-impact security vulnerabilities and in rare cases may
also include off-schedule releases that address live security
vulnerabilities. Backports of any functional enhancements and/or
stability fixes are not in scope.

At the end of the support period for an ESR version:

the release will reach its end-of-life

no further updates will be offered for that version

an update to the next version will be offered through the application update service

E-Business Suite to be certified with Firefox Extended Support Releases

New personal versions of Firefox are released roughly every six
weeks. It is impractical for us to certify these new personal versions
of Firefox with the Oracle E-Business Suite because a given Firefox
release is generally obsolete by the time we complete the certification.

From Firefox 10 and onwards, Oracle E-Business Suite is
certified only with selected Firefox Extended Support Release versions.
Oracle has no current plans to certify new Firefox personal releases
with the E-Business Suite.

EBS patching policy for Firefox compatibility issues

Mozilla stresses their goal of ensuring that Firefox personal
versions will continue to offer the same level of application
compatibility as Firefox Extended Support Releases.

Oracle E-Business Suite Development will issue new E-Business Suite
patches or workarounds that can be reproduced with Firefox Extended
Support Releases. If you report compatibility issues with Firefox
personal releases that cannot be reproduced with Firefox Extended
Support Releases, your options are:

Deploy a certified Firefox Extended Support Release version instead of the Firefox personal version

Report the incompatibility between Firefox ESR and Firefox personal to Mozilla

Mozilla may release new updates to Firefox ESR versions to address
high-risk/high-impact security issues. These updates are considered to
be certified with the E-Business Suite on the day that they're
released. You do not need to wait for a certification from Oracle
before deploying these new Firefox ESR security updates.

The certification of Firefox ESR 38 with Oracle E-Business Suite 12.1 is still in progress. An interoperability patch is required for this certification; this patch is being prepared.

EBS 12.1 users should remain on Firefox ESR 31 for now. This certification will be announced in a separate blog article.

Oracle's Revenue Recognition rules prohibit us from discussing certification and release dates, but you're welcome to monitor or subscribe to this blog.

The preceding is intended to outline our general product direction. It is intended for information purposes only, and may not be incorporated into any contract. It is not a commitment to deliver any material, code, or functionality, and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decision. The development, release, and timing of any features or functionality described for Oracle’s products remains at the sole discretion of Oracle.

Here are our latest upgrade recommendations for E-Business
Suite updates and technology stack components. These quarterly
recommendations are based upon the latest updates to Oracle's product
strategies, latest support timelines, and newly-certified releases.

Our standard policy is that all E-Business Suite customers can
apply all
JRE updates to end-user desktops:

From JRE 1.6.0_03 and later updates on
the JRE 6 codeline

From JRE 1.7.0_10 and later updates on the JRE 7
codeline

From JRE 1.8.0_25 and later updates on the JRE 8 codeline

We test
all new JRE releases in parallel with the JRE development
process, so
all new JRE releases are considered certified with the
E-Business Suite on
the same day that they're released by our Java team.

You do not need to wait for a certification announcement before
applying new JRE 6, 7, or 8 releases to your EBS users' desktops.

32-bit and 64-bit versions certified

This certification includes both the 32-bit and 64-bit JRE
versions for various Windows operating systems. See the respective
Recommended Browser documentation for your EBS release for details.

Where are the official patch requirements documented?

All
patches required for ensuring full compatibility of the E-Business
Suite with JRE 8 are documented in these Notes:

Form Focus Issue: Clicking outside the frame during forms
launch may cause a loss of focus when running with JRE 8. This can
occur in all Oracle E-Business Suite releases. A fix for this issue is
currently being investigated, see the documentation below for additional
information.

EBS + Discoverer 11g Users

This JRE release is certified for Discoverer 11g in E-Business Suite environments with the following minimum requirements:

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JRE 8 for Windows desktop clients?

No.

This upgrade is highly recommended but remains
optional while Java 6 and 7 are covered by Extended Support. Updates
will be delivered via My Oracle Support, where you can continue to
receive critical bug fixes and security fixes as well as general
maintenance for JRE 6 and 7 desktop clients. Note that there are
different impacts of enabling JRE Auto-Update depending on your current
JRE release installed, despite the availability of ongoing support for
JRE 6 and 7 for EBS customers; see the next section below.

Impact of enabling JRE Auto-Update

Java Auto-Update
is a feature that keeps desktops up-to-date with the latest Java
release. The Java Auto-Update feature connects to java.com at a
scheduled time and checks to see if there is an update available.

Enabling the JRE Auto-Update feature on desktops with JRE 6 installed will have no effect.

With the release of the January Critical patch Updates, the Java
Auto-Update Mechanism will automatically update JRE 7 plug-ins to JRE 8.

The upgrade to JRE 8 is recommended for EBS users, but
some users may need to run older versions of JRE 6 or 7 on their Windows desktops
for reasons unrelated to the E-Business Suite.

Most EBS configurations
with IE and Firefox use non-static versioning by default. JRE 8 will
be invoked instead of earlier JRE releases if both are installed on a Windows desktop.
For more details, see "Appendix B: Static vs. Non-static Versioning and
Set Up Options" in Notes 290807.1 and 393931.1.

The preceding is intended to outline our general product
direction. It is intended for information purposes only, and may not be
incorporated into any contract. It is not a commitment to deliver any
material, code, or functionality, and should not be relied upon in
making purchasing decision. The development, release, and timing of any
features or functionality described for Oracle’s products remains at
the sole discretion of Oracle.

Our standard policy is that all E-Business Suite customers can
apply all
JRE updates to end-user desktops:

From JRE 1.6.0_03 and later updates on
the JRE 6 codeline

From JRE 1.7.0_10 and later updates on the JRE 7
codeline

From JRE 1.8.0_25 and later updates on the JRE 8 codeline

We test
all new JRE releases in parallel with the JRE development
process, so
all new JRE releases are considered certified with the
E-Business Suite on
the same day that they're released by our Java team.

You do not need to wait for a certification announcement before
applying new JRE 6, 7, or 8 releases to your EBS users' desktops.

Effects of new support dates on Java upgrades for EBS environments

Support dates for the E-Business Suite and Java have changed. Please review the sections below for more details:

What does this mean for Oracle E-Business Suite users?

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JRE 7 for Windows desktop clients?

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JDK 7 for EBS application tier servers?

What's new in this release?

Oracle now releases a Critical Patch update (CPU) at the same
time as the corresponding Patch Set Update (PSU) release for Java SE 7.

CPU Release is JRE 1.7.0_79

PSU Release is JRE 1.7.0_80

Oracle recommends that Oracle E-Business Suite customers use the CPU
release (JRE 1.7.0_79) and only upgrade to the PSU release (JRE
1.7.0_80) if they require a specific bug fix. For further information
and bug fix details see Java CPU and PSU Releases Explained.

There
are currently no known issues in Oracle E-Business Suite that require
the PSU release but it is certified for customers that may need to use
it.

This JRE update is a CPU release. If you are running on
the JRE 7 stream, it is strongly recommended to upgrade to this latest
and therefore most secure version of the JRE 7 Plug-in.

32-bit and 64-bit versions certified

This certification includes both the 32-bit and 64-bit JRE
versions for various Windows operating systems. See the respective
Recommended Browser documentation for your EBS release for details.

Where are the official patch requirements documented?

All
patches required for ensuring full compatibility of the E-Business
Suite with JRE 7 are documented in these Notes:

No need to worry -- it's fixed. To recap: JRE releases 1.6.0_18
through 1.6.0_22 had issues with mismanaging session cookies that affected some users in some circumstances.

The fix for those issues was first included in JRE 1.6.0_23. These
fixes will carry forward and continue to be fixed in all future JRE
releases on the JRE 6 and 7 codelines. In other words, if you wish to avoid the mismanaged session
cookie issue, you should apply any release after JRE 1.6.0_22 on the JRE 6 codeline, and JRE 7u10 and later JRE 7 codeline updates.

JRE 7 End of Public Updates

This is the last JRE 7 update available to the general public. Java is an integral part of the Oracle E-Business Suite technology
stack, so EBS users will continue to receive Java SE 7 updates to the end of Java SE 7 Premier Support to the end of July 2016.

How can EBS customers obtain Java 7 updates after the public end-of-life?

Both JDK and JRE packages are now contained in a single combined
download. Download the "JDK" package for both the desktop client JRE
and the server-side JDK package.

Coexistence of multiple JRE releases Windows desktops

The upgrade to JRE 8 is recommended for EBS users, but
some users may need to run older versions of JRE 6 or 7 on their Windows desktops
for reasons unrelated to the E-Business Suite.

Most EBS configurations
with IE and Firefox use non-static versioning by default. JRE 8 will
be invoked instead of earlier JRE releases if both are installed on a Windows desktop.
For more details, see "Appendix B: Static vs. Non-static Versioning and
Set Up Options" in Notes 290807.1 and 393931.1.

Java Auto-Update Mechanism

With the release of the January 2015 Critical patch Updates, the Java
Auto-Update Mechanism will automatically update JRE 7 plug-ins to JRE 8.

Coexistence of multiple JRE releases Windows desktops

The upgrade to JRE 8 is recommended for EBS users, but
some users may need to run older versions of JRE 6 or 7 on their Windows desktops
for reasons unrelated to the E-Business Suite.

Most EBS configurations
with IE and Firefox use non-static versioning by default. JRE 8 will
be invoked instead of earlier JRE releases if both are installed on a Windows desktop.
For more details, see "Appendix B: Static vs. Non-static Versioning and
Set Up Options" in Notes 290807.1 and 393931.1.

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JDK 7 for EBS application tier servers?

JRE is used for desktop clients. JDK is used for application tier servers

JDK upgrades for E-Business Suite application tier servers are highly recommended but currently remain
optional while Java 6 is covered by Extended Support. Updates
will be delivered via My Oracle Support, where you can continue to
receive critical bug fixes and security fixes as well as general
maintenance for JDK 6 for application tier servers.

Java SE 6 is covered by Extended Support until June 2017. All EBS
customers with application tier servers on Windows, Solaris, and Linux
must upgrade to JDK 7 by June 2017. EBS customers running their
application tier servers on other operating systems should check with
their respective vendors for the support dates for those platforms.

The latest Java Runtime Environment 1.6.0_95 (a.k.a. JRE 6u95-b12) and later updates on the JRE 6 codeline
are now certified with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i and 12.x for Windows-based desktop clients.

All JRE 6, 7, and 8 releases are certified with EBS upon release

Our standard policy is that all E-Business Suite customers can
apply all
JRE updates to end-user desktops:

From JRE 1.6.0_03 and later updates on
the JRE 6 codeline

From JRE 1.7.0_10 and later updates on the JRE 7
codeline

From JRE 1.8.0_25 and later updates on the JRE 8 codeline

We test
all new JRE releases in parallel with the JRE development
process, so
all new JRE releases are considered certified with the
E-Business Suite on
the same day that they're released by our Java team.

You do not need to wait for a certification announcement before
applying new JRE 6, 7, or 8 releases to your EBS users' desktops.

Effects of new support dates on Java upgrades for EBS environments

Support dates for the E-Business Suite and Java have changed. Please review the sections below for more details:

What does this mean for Oracle E-Business Suite users?

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JRE 7 for Windows desktop clients?

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JDK 7 for EBS application tier servers?

What's new in in this Java release?

This JRE update is a CPU release. If you are running on the
JRE 6 stream, it is strongly recommended that you upgrade to this latest
version of the JRE 6 Plug-in.

Java 6 is now available
only via My Oracle Support for E-Business Suite users. You can find
links to this release, including Release Notes, documentation, and the
actual Java downloads here:

Both
JDK and JRE packages are contained in a single combined download after
6u45. Download the "JDK" package for both the desktop client JRE and
the server-side JDK package.

32-bit and 64-bit versions certified

This certification includes both the 32-bit and 64-bit JRE
versions for various Windows operating systems. See the respective Deploying JRE documentation for your EBS release for details.

Worried about the 'mismanaged session cookie' issue?

No need to worry -- it's fixed. To recap: JRE releases 1.6.0_18
through 1.6.0_22 had issues with mismanaging session cookies that affected some users in some circumstances.

The fix for those issues was first included in JRE 1.6.0_23. These
fixes will carry forward and continue to be fixed in all future JRE
releases. In other words, if you wish to avoid the mismanaged session
cookie issue, you should apply any release after JRE 1.6.0_22.

After February 2013, Oracle will no longer post updates of Java SE 6 to
its public download sites. Existing Java SE 6 downloads already posted
as of February 2013 will remain accessible in the Java Archive
on Oracle Technology Network. Developers and end-users are encouraged
to update to more recent Java SE versions that remain available for
public download. For enterprise customers, who need continued access to
critical bug fixes and security fixes as well as general maintenance for
Java SE 6 or older versions, long term support is available through Oracle Java SE Support .

What does this mean for Oracle E-Business Suite users?

EBS users fall under the category of "enterprise users" above.
Java is an integral part of the Oracle E-Business Suite technology
stack, so EBS users will continue to receive Java SE 6 updates from
February 2013 to the end of Java SE 6 Extended Support in June 2017.

In other words, nothing changes for EBS users after February 2013.

EBS users will continue to receive critical bug fixes and security
fixes as well as general maintenance for Java SE 6 until the end of Java SE 6 Extended Support in June 2017.

How can EBS customers obtain Java 6 updates after the public end-of-life?

The upgrade to JRE 8 is recommended for EBS users, but
some users may need to run older versions of JRE 6 or 7 on their Windows desktops
for reasons unrelated to the E-Business Suite.

Most EBS configurations
with IE and Firefox use non-static versioning by default. JRE 8 will
be invoked instead of earlier JRE releases if both are installed on a Windows desktop.
For more details, see "Appendix B: Static vs. Non-static Versioning and
Set Up Options" in Notes 290807.1 and 393931.1.

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JDK 7 for EBS application tier servers?

JRE is used for desktop clients. JDK is used for application tier servers

JDK upgrades for E-Business Suite application tier servers are highly recommended but currently remain
optional while Java 6 is covered by Extended Support. Updates
will be delivered via My Oracle Support, where you can continue to
receive critical bug fixes and security fixes as well as general
maintenance for JDK 6 for application tier servers.

Java SE 6 is covered by Extended Support until June 2017. All EBS
customers with application tier servers on Windows, Solaris, and Linux
must upgrade to JDK 7 by June 2017. EBS customers running their
application tier servers on other operating systems should check with
their respective vendors for the support dates for those platforms.

Wednesday Apr 15, 2015

The Critical
Patch Update (CPU) for April 2015 was released on April 14, 2015.
Oracle strongly recommends applying the patches as soon as possible.

The Critical Patch Update Advisory
is the starting point for relevant information. It includes a list of
products affected, pointers to obtain the patches, a summary of
the security vulnerabilities, and links to other important documents.

Supported products that are not listed in the "Supported Products
and Components Affected" Section of the advisory do not require new
patches to be applied.

Also, it is essential to review the Critical Patch Update supporting
documentation referenced in the Advisory before applying patches, as
this is where you can find important pertinent information.

The Critical Patch Update Advisory is available at the following location:

Tuesday Apr 14, 2015

When you create extensions to Oracle E-Business Suite OA Framework
pages, you must use the version of Oracle JDeveloper shipped by the
Oracle E-Business Suite product team.

The version of Oracle JDeveloper is specific to the Oracle
E-Business Suite Applications Technology patch level, so there is a new
version of Oracle JDeveloper with each new release of the Oracle
E-Business Suite Applications Technology patchset. These patchsets must be certified for the desktop operating system that is used to develop the OA Framework extensions.

The latest updates of the OA Extensions for JDeveloper are certified with Windows 8.1. There are updates for EBS 12.2.4, 12.2.3, 12.1.3, and 11.5.10.2.

The certification of the following Desktop Client tools on Windows 8.1 is still pending:

BI Publisher Desktop Tools (formally XML Publisher)

Discoverer Administrator/Desktop

Sales for Handhelds (Outlook Sync Client)

Warehouse Builder Client

Oracle's Revenue Recognition rules prohibit us from discussing certification and release dates, but you're welcome to monitor or subscribe to this blog. I'll post updates here as soon as soon as they're available.

Our standard policy is that all E-Business Suite customers can
apply all
JRE updates to end-user desktops:

From JRE 1.6.0_03 and later updates on
the JRE 6 codeline

From JRE 1.7.0_10 and later updates on the JRE 7
codeline

From JRE 1.8.0_25 and later updates on the JRE 8 codeline

We test
all new JRE releases in parallel with the JRE development
process, so
all new JRE releases are considered certified with the
E-Business Suite on
the same day that they're released by our Java team.

You do not need to wait for a certification announcement before
applying new JRE 6, 7, or 8 releases to your EBS users' desktops.

32-bit and 64-bit versions certified

This certification includes both the 32-bit and 64-bit JRE
versions for various Windows operating systems. See the respective
Recommended Browser documentation for your EBS release for details.

Where are the official patch requirements documented?

All
patches required for ensuring full compatibility of the E-Business
Suite with JRE 8 are documented in these Notes:

Form Focus Issue: Clicking outside the frame during forms
launch may cause a loss of focus when running with JRE 8. This can
occur in all Oracle E-Business Suite releases. A fix for this issue is
currently being investigated, see the documentation below for additional
information.

EBS + Discoverer 11g Users

This JRE release is certified for Discoverer 11g in E-Business Suite environments with the following minimum requirements:

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JRE 8 for Windows desktop clients?

No.

This upgrade is highly recommended but remains
optional while Java 6 and 7 are covered by Extended Support. Updates
will be delivered via My Oracle Support, where you can continue to
receive critical bug fixes and security fixes as well as general
maintenance for JRE 6 and 7 desktop clients. Note that there are
different impacts of enabling JRE Auto-Update depending on your current
JRE release installed, despite the availability of ongoing support for
JRE 6 and 7 for EBS customers; see the next section below.

Impact of enabling JRE Auto-Update

Java Auto-Update
is a feature that keeps desktops up-to-date with the latest Java
release. The Java Auto-Update feature connects to java.com at a
scheduled time and checks to see if there is an update available.

Enabling the JRE Auto-Update feature on desktops with JRE 6 installed will have no effect.

With the release of the January Critical patch Updates, the Java
Auto-Update Mechanism will automatically update JRE 7 plug-ins to JRE 8.

The upgrade to JRE 8 is recommended for EBS users, but
some users may need to run older versions of JRE 6 or 7 on their Windows desktops
for reasons unrelated to the E-Business Suite.

Most EBS configurations
with IE and Firefox use non-static versioning by default. JRE 8 will
be invoked instead of earlier JRE releases if both are installed on a Windows desktop.
For more details, see "Appendix B: Static vs. Non-static Versioning and
Set Up Options" in Notes 290807.1 and 393931.1.

The preceding is intended to outline our general product
direction. It is intended for information purposes only, and may not be
incorporated into any contract. It is not a commitment to deliver any
material, code, or functionality, and should not be relied upon in
making purchasing decision. The development, release, and timing of any
features or functionality described for Oracle’s products remains at
the sole discretion of Oracle.

Thursday Feb 26, 2015

E-Business Suite customers must ensure that their database remains on
a level that is covered by Error Correction Support (ECS) -- i.e. while
you can get new patches, Critical Patch Updates (CPU), and Patch Set
Updates (PSU). We've covered this in detail here:

The Exception to Sustaining Support coverage ends and we revert to the normal mode of Sustaining Support on January 1, 2016. You can request diagnostic
assistance for EBS 11i issues and download existing patches and
documentation. Sustaining Support does not include:

Internet Explorer 11 can be used in "Desktop Mode" on Windows 8.1.
Running IE 11 from the "Modern" (Metro) Start Screen is not certified.

Due to display issues with certain FWK pages when using IE9 or IE10
we previously recommended running E-Business Suite using the browsers
'compatibility mode'. These display issues have now been fixed for
IE11-- you can now access your E-Business Suite 11.5.10.2 environments
without using 'compatibility mode' in IE 11.

IE 11 includes an "Enterprise Mode" which can be used to emulated
Internet Explorer 8 behaviour and provide compatibility with earlier
browser standards. You should not use "Enterprise Mode" with Oracle
E-Business Suite. EBS compatibility with IE 11 requires server-side
patches. Enabling "Enterprise Mode" in IE 11 is not needed and will not
resolve all compatibility issues.

There appears to be some inaccurate information lying about on the
web that claims that JRE 1.7 is not certified with the E-Business
Suite.

This is incorrect. Our standard policy is that all E-Business Suite customers can
apply all
JRE updates to end-user desktops:

From JRE 1.6.0_03 and later updates on
the JRE 6 codeline

From JRE 1.7.0_10 and later updates on the JRE 7
codeline

From JRE 1.8.0_25 and later updates on the JRE 8 codeline

You do not need to wait for a certification announcement before
applying new JRE 1.6 or JRE 7 releases to your EBS users' desktops. We test
all new JRE releases in parallel with the JRE development
process, so
all new JRE releases are considered certified with the
E-Business Suite on
the same day that they're released by our Java team.

You do not need to wait for a certification announcement before
applying new JRE 6, 7, or 8 releases to your EBS users' desktops.

"JInitiator version too low" errors

Some non-Oracle staff are claiming that "JInitiator version too
low" errors confirm this incompatibility and lack of certification.

Thursday Feb 05, 2015

E-Business Suite customers must ensure that their database remains on
a level that is covered by Error Correction Support (ECS) -- i.e. while
you can get new patches, Critical Patch Updates (CPU), and Patch Set
Updates (PSU). We've covered this in detail here:

E-Business Suite customers must ensure that their database remains on
a level that is covered by Error Correction Support (ECS) -- i.e. while
you can get new patches, Critical Patch Updates (CPU), and Patch Set
Updates (PSU). We've covered this in detail here:

E-Business Suite customers must ensure that their database remains on a level that is covered by Error Correction Support (ECS) -- i.e. while you can get new patches, Critical Patch Updates (CPU), and Patch Set Updates (PSU). We've covered this in detail here:

Thursday Jan 22, 2015

Secure Hash Algorithms (SHA) are used for a variety of cryptographic purposes including signing of public key infrastructure (PKI) certificates (e.g., code signing cerificates and
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS) server certificates). Currently, the SHA family of functions include SHA-0, SHA-1, SHA-2 and SHA-3. This article and reference notes focus on the use of the SHA256 hash function of SHA-2 with Oracle E-Business Suite.

Why is SHA-2 important to you?

Industry standards for encryption algorithms are constantly under review. Many certificate authorities are recommending or mandating SHA-2 as the minumum signature algorithm
for issuing certificates. The time frame for moving to SHA-2 varies
depending upon the certificate authority that is used. The requirement
for SHA-2 also impacts intermediate certificates which must also be SHA2
in order to chain back to the end-entity SHA-2 certificate issued. Root
certificates are not impacted.

When does Oracle E-Business Suite use certificates?

1. HTTPS clients (outbound connections)
HTTPS client connections that originate from Oracle E-Business
Suite. For HTTPS clients, you may need to apply product
patches to use SHA-2 certificates.
Currently, the following products have identified additional
requirements to support SHA-2 for HTTPS clients:

XML Gateway
Follow the instructions in the patch README and apply the following patch: 19909850

In
addition to products that initiate outbound connections from java code on the application tier, the Oracle
Database may also act as an HTTP client when the UTL_HTTP package is
utilized. Some Oracle E-Business Suite products leverage UTL_HTTP for outbound HTTPS connections. You may also use
UTL_HTTP for external integrations and customizations.

For the
Oracle Database to utilize a PKI (including SHA-2 signed) certificate, SSL/TLS for outgoing
connections database connections must be configured. Our testing in Oracle E-Business Suite development has confirmed that UTL_HTTP is SHA-2 compliant as of Oracle Database
11.1.0.7 (we have not tested with earlier database versions).The steps
for enabling and testing SSL/TLS configuration for the Oracle Database
are documented in the following:

2. Server Side
In addition to client side (outbound connections), the Oracle
E-Business Suite application tier utilizes PKI certificates for code signing by AD Jar Signing and for the (inbound) SSL/TLS termination point using the Oracle HTTP Server.

AD JAR Signing
During patching, Oracle E-Business Suite uses certificates to sign JARs that will be delivered to the browser. As of Java 1.5, Java and its utilities keytool and
jarsigner supports SHA-2 certificates. SHA-2 certificates are certified for JAR signing for all versions of Oracle E-Business Suite (11i, 12.0, 12.1 and 12.2) and
Java 1.5 and higher.

Oracle HTTP Server (inbound connections)
SHA-2 certificates are also used by the Oracle HTTP server that is
delivered with the Oracle E-Business Suite Applications Technology. The
requirements for SHA-2 for the Oracle HTTP Server vary per Oracle
E-Business Suite version as follows:

Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.2
SHA-2 certificates are certified with the Oracle HTTP Server delivered
with Oracle E-Business Suite 12.2. The wallet management
tools that are shipped with EBS 12.2 generate Certificate Signing
Requests (CSRs) signed using MD5. The following note
has been updated with the steps necessary to create CSRs signed with other
algorithms including SHA-2:

Oracle E-Business Suite Releases 12.0 and 12.1
We are currently working on the certification of SHA-2 certificates with the Oracle HTTP Server for Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.0 and 12.1. As an option while we are working on this certification, you may use an alternate technology (ie, a load balancer, reverse proxy, etc) that supports SHA-2 as the SSL/TLS termination point. Another alternative is to request that your certificate authority issue a SHA-1 certificate.

Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i
SHA-2 certificates are certified with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i when using mod_ssl.so OpenSSL library version 0.98za or later. To get the minimum mod_ssl.sl library required for EBS 11i and SHA-2, you must apply the July 2014 CPU. Note: We always recommend that you apply the most current CPU available
to your environment. You may refer to the following note for additional details:

Our standard policy is that all E-Business Suite customers can
apply all
JRE updates to end-user desktops:

From JRE 1.6.0_03 and later updates on
the JRE 6 codeline

From JRE 1.7.0_10 and later updates on the JRE 7
codeline

From JRE 1.8.0_25 and later updates on the JRE 8 codeline

We test
all new JRE releases in parallel with the JRE development
process, so
all new JRE releases are considered certified with the
E-Business Suite on
the same day that they're released by our Java team.

You do not need to wait for a certification announcement before
applying new JRE 6, 7, or 8 releases to your EBS users' desktops.

32-bit and 64-bit versions certified

This certification includes both the 32-bit and 64-bit JRE
versions for various Windows operating systems. See the respective
Recommended Browser documentation for your EBS release for details.

Where are the official patch requirements documented?

All
patches required for ensuring full compatibility of the E-Business
Suite with JRE 8 are documented in these Notes:

Form Focus Issue: Clicking outside the frame during forms
launch may cause a loss of focus when running with JRE 8. This can
occur in all Oracle E-Business Suite releases. A fix for this issue is
currently being investigated, see the documentation below for additional
information.

EBS + Discoverer 11g Users

This JRE release is certified for Discoverer 11g in E-Business Suite environments with the following minimum requirements:

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JRE 8 for Windows desktop clients?

No.

This upgrade is highly recommended but remains
optional while Java 6 and 7 are covered by Extended Support. Updates
will be delivered via My Oracle Support, where you can continue to
receive critical bug fixes and security fixes as well as general
maintenance for JRE 6 and 7 desktop clients. Note that there are
different impacts of enabling JRE Auto-Update depending on your current
JRE release installed, despite the availability of ongoing support for
JRE 6 and 7 for EBS customers; see the next section below.

Impact of enabling JRE Auto-Update

Java Auto-Update
is a feature that keeps desktops up-to-date with the latest Java
release. The Java Auto-Update feature connects to java.com at a
scheduled time and checks to see if there is an update available.

Enabling the JRE Auto-Update feature on desktops with JRE 6 installed will have no effect.

With the release of this January Critical patch Updates, the Java
Auto-Update Mechanism will automatically update JRE 7 plug-ins to JRE 8.

The upgrade to JRE 8 is recommended for EBS users, but
some users may need to run older versions of JRE 6 or 7 on their Windows desktops
for reasons unrelated to the E-Business Suite.

Most EBS configurations
with IE and Firefox use non-static versioning by default. JRE 8 will
be invoked instead of earlier JRE releases if both are installed on a Windows desktop.
For more details, see "Appendix B: Static vs. Non-static Versioning and
Set Up Options" in Notes 290807.1 and 393931.1.

The preceding is intended to outline our general product
direction. It is intended for information purposes only, and may not be
incorporated into any contract. It is not a commitment to deliver any
material, code, or functionality, and should not be relied upon in
making purchasing decision. The development, release, and timing of any
features or functionality described for Oracle’s products remains at
the sole discretion of Oracle.

Java Runtime Environment 1.7.0_75
(a.k.a. JRE 7u75-b13) and 1.7.0_76 (7u76-b13) and later updates on the JRE 7 codeline
are now certified with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i and 12.0, 12.1, and 12.2
for Windows-based desktop clients.

Effects of new support dates on Java upgrades for EBS environments

Support dates for the E-Business Suite and Java have changed. Please review the sections below for more details:

What does this mean for Oracle E-Business Suite users?

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JRE 7 for Windows desktop clients?

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JDK 7 for EBS application tier servers?

All JRE 6, 7, and 8 releases are certified with EBS upon release

Our standard policy is that all E-Business Suite customers can
apply all
JRE updates to end-user desktops:

From JRE 1.6.0_03 and later updates on
the JRE 6 codeline

From JRE 1.7.0_10 and later updates on the JRE 7
codeline

From JRE 1.8.0_25 and later updates on the JRE 8 codeline

We test
all new JRE releases in parallel with the JRE development
process, so
all new JRE releases are considered certified with the
E-Business Suite on
the same day that they're released by our Java team.

You do not need to wait for a certification announcement before
applying new JRE 6, 7, or 8 releases to your EBS users' desktops.

What's new in this release?

Oracle now releases a Critical Patch update (CPU) at the same
time as the corresponding Patch Set Update (PSU) release for Java SE 7.

CPU Release is JRE 1.7.0_75

PSU Release is JRE 1.7.0_76

It is recommended that Oracle E-Business Suite customers use the CPU
release (JRE 1.7.0_75) and only upgrade to the PSU release (JRE
1.7.0_76) if they require a specific bug fix. For further information
and bug fix details see Java CPU and PSU Releases Explained.

There
are currently no known issues in Oracle E-Business Suite that require
the PSU release but it is certified for customers that may need to use
it.

JRE 1.7.0_75 (7u75) is a CPU release. If you are running on
the JRE 7 stream, it is strongly recommended to upgrade to this latest
and therefore most secure version of the JRE 7 Plug-in.

32-bit and 64-bit versions certified

This certification includes both the 32-bit and 64-bit JRE
versions for various Windows operating systems. See the respective
Recommended Browser documentation for your EBS release for details.

Where are the official patch requirements documented?

All
patches required for ensuring full compatibility of the E-Business
Suite with JRE 7 are documented in these Notes:

No need to worry -- it's fixed. To recap: JRE releases 1.6.0_18
through 1.6.0_22 had issues with mismanaging session cookies that affected some users in some circumstances.

The fix for those issues was first included in JRE 1.6.0_23. These
fixes will carry forward and continue to be fixed in all future JRE
releases on the JRE 6 and 7 codelines. In other words, if you wish to avoid the mismanaged session
cookie issue, you should apply any release after JRE 1.6.0_22 on the JRE 6 codeline, and JRE 7u10 and later JRE 7 codeline updates.

JRE 7 End of Public Updates

Java is an integral part of the Oracle E-Business Suite technology
stack, so EBS users will continue to receive Java SE 7 updates to the end of Java SE 7 Extended Support in April 2015.

How can EBS customers obtain Java 7 updates after the public end-of-life?

Both JDK and JRE packages are now contained in a single combined download. Download the "JDK" package for both the desktop client JRE
and the server-side JDK package.

Coexistence of multiple JRE releases Windows desktops

The upgrade to JRE 8 is recommended for EBS users, but
some users may need to run older versions of JRE 6 or 7 on their Windows desktops
for reasons unrelated to the E-Business Suite.

Most EBS configurations
with IE and Firefox use non-static versioning by default. JRE 8 will
be invoked instead of earlier JRE releases if both are installed on a Windows desktop.
For more details, see "Appendix B: Static vs. Non-static Versioning and
Set Up Options" in Notes 290807.1 and 393931.1.

Java Auto-Update Mechanism

With the release of this January Critical patch Updates, the Java Auto-Update Mechanism will automatically update JRE 7 plug-ins to JRE 8.

Coexistence of multiple JRE releases Windows desktops

The upgrade to JRE 8 is recommended for EBS users, but
some users may need to run older versions of JRE 6 or 7 on their Windows desktops
for reasons unrelated to the E-Business Suite.

Most EBS configurations
with IE and Firefox use non-static versioning by default. JRE 8 will
be invoked instead of earlier JRE releases if both are installed on a Windows desktop.
For more details, see "Appendix B: Static vs. Non-static Versioning and
Set Up Options" in Notes 290807.1 and 393931.1.

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JDK 7 for EBS application tier servers?

JRE is used for desktop clients. JDK is used for application tier servers

JDK upgrades for E-Business Suite application tier servers are highly recommended but currently remain
optional while Java 6 is covered by Extended Support. Updates
will be delivered via My Oracle Support, where you can continue to
receive critical bug fixes and security fixes as well as general
maintenance for JDK 6 for application tier servers.

Java SE 6 is covered by Extended Support until June 2017. All EBS
customers with application tier servers on Windows, Solaris, and Linux
must upgrade to JDK 7 by June 2017. EBS customers running their
application tier servers on other operating systems should check with
their respective vendors for the support dates for those platforms.

The latest Java Runtime Environment 1.6.0_91 (a.k.a. JRE 6u91-b13) and later updates on the JRE 6 codeline
are now certified with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i and 12.x for Windows-based desktop clients.

Effects of new support dates on Java upgrades for EBS environments

Support dates for the E-Business Suite and Java have changed. Please review the sections below for more details:

What does this mean for Oracle E-Business Suite users?

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JRE 7 for Windows desktop clients?

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JDK 7 for EBS application tier servers?

All JRE 6, 7, and 8 releases are certified with EBS upon release

Our standard policy is that all E-Business Suite customers can
apply all
JRE updates to end-user desktops:

From JRE 1.6.0_03 and later updates on
the JRE 6 codeline

From JRE 1.7.0_10 and later updates on the JRE 7
codeline

From JRE 1.8.0_25 and later updates on the JRE 8 codeline

We test
all new JRE releases in parallel with the JRE development
process, so
all new JRE releases are considered certified with the
E-Business Suite on
the same day that they're released by our Java team.

You do not need to wait for a certification announcement before
applying new JRE 6, 7, or 8 releases to your EBS users' desktops.

What's new in in this Java release?

JRE 1.6.0_91 (6u91-b13) is a CPU release. If you are running on the
JRE 6 stream, it is strongly recommended that you upgrade to this latest
version of the JRE 6 Plug-in.

Java 6 is now available
only via My Oracle Support for E-Business Suite users. You can find
links to this release, including Release Notes, documentation, and the
actual Java downloads here:

Both
JDK and JRE packages are contained in a single combined download after
6u45. Download the "JDK" package for both the desktop client JRE and
the server-side JDK package.

32-bit and 64-bit versions certified

This certification includes both the 32-bit and 64-bit JRE
versions for various Windows operating systems. See the respective Deploying JRE documentation for your EBS release for details.

Worried about the 'mismanaged session cookie' issue?

No need to worry -- it's fixed. To recap: JRE releases 1.6.0_18
through 1.6.0_22 had issues with mismanaging session cookies that affected some users in some circumstances.

The fix for those issues was first included in JRE 1.6.0_23. These
fixes will carry forward and continue to be fixed in all future JRE
releases. In other words, if you wish to avoid the mismanaged session
cookie issue, you should apply any release after JRE 1.6.0_22.

After February 2013, Oracle will no longer post updates of Java SE 6 to
its public download sites. Existing Java SE 6 downloads already posted
as of February 2013 will remain accessible in the Java Archive
on Oracle Technology Network. Developers and end-users are encouraged
to update to more recent Java SE versions that remain available for
public download. For enterprise customers, who need continued access to
critical bug fixes and security fixes as well as general maintenance for
Java SE 6 or older versions, long term support is available through Oracle Java SE Support .

What does this mean for Oracle E-Business Suite users?

EBS users fall under the category of "enterprise users" above.
Java is an integral part of the Oracle E-Business Suite technology
stack, so EBS users will continue to receive Java SE 6 updates from
February 2013 to the end of Java SE 6 Extended Support in June 2017.

In other words, nothing changes for EBS users after February 2013.

EBS users will continue to receive critical bug fixes and security
fixes as well as general maintenance for Java SE 6 until the end of Java SE 6 Extended Support in June 2017.

How can EBS customers obtain Java 6 updates after the public end-of-life?

The upgrade to JRE 8 is recommended for EBS users, but
some users may need to run older versions of JRE 6 or 7 on their Windows desktops
for reasons unrelated to the E-Business Suite.

Most EBS configurations
with IE and Firefox use non-static versioning by default. JRE 8 will
be invoked instead of earlier JRE releases if both are installed on a Windows desktop.
For more details, see "Appendix B: Static vs. Non-static Versioning and
Set Up Options" in Notes 290807.1 and 393931.1.

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JDK 7 for EBS application tier servers?

JRE is used for desktop clients. JDK is used for application tier servers

JDK upgrades for E-Business Suite application tier servers are highly recommended but currently remain
optional while Java 6 is covered by Extended Support. Updates
will be delivered via My Oracle Support, where you can continue to
receive critical bug fixes and security fixes as well as general
maintenance for JDK 6 for application tier servers.

Java SE 6 is covered by Extended Support until June 2017. All EBS
customers with application tier servers on Windows, Solaris, and Linux
must upgrade to JDK 7 by June 2017. EBS customers running their
application tier servers on other operating systems should check with
their respective vendors for the support dates for those platforms.

Tuesday Jan 20, 2015

The Critical
Patch Update (CPU) for January 2015 was released on January 20, 2015.
Oracle strongly recommends applying the patches as soon as possible.

The Critical Patch Update Advisory
is the starting point for relevant information. It includes a list of
products affected, pointers to obtain the patches, a summary of
the security vulnerabilities, and links to other important documents.

Supported products that are not listed in the "Supported Products
and Components Affected" Section of the advisory do not require new
patches to be applied.

Also, it is essential to review the Critical Patch Update supporting
documentation referenced in the Advisory before applying patches, as
this is where you can find important pertinent information.

The Critical Patch Update Advisory is available at the following location: